Kremlin Values It Takes Time To Improve Russia-United States Relations

Dmitry Peskov. (Sergey Fadeichev / TASS)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies it took time to improve relations between Russia and the United States, in a statement published on Wednesday.

"Of course, there is inertia in this process," Peskov told TASS, referring to the absence of a prolonged meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

"It takes time for efforts to restore bilateral relations to normal channels," he said.

TASS reported for the first time in modern Russian history that more than six months have passed since the inauguration of the new US president without a summit with the Russian leader.

Separately, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Moscow on Wednesday to meet with Russian leaders in another diplomatic effort by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.

The relations between the two countries have been marked by rising tensions in recent weeks, with President Trump saying he has ordered two nuclear submarines to be stationed in the "proper region", in response to a statement by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

President Trump has also issued an ultimatum to Putin, demanding a ceasefire in the war Russia began, with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and a peace agreement no later than August 8.

The Republican politician threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia and impose a 100 percent tariff on its oil-buying countries, including China and India, unless Putin agreed to a ceasefire in the war.